Betrayal
by Aislinn101
Summary: What if Merlin had fallen in love with a young druid Seer, Elsa? About to become a father? All seems well until Elsa has a vision: A vision that she will be the one to bring about Arthur's Bane. And when she gives birth, perhaps the vision will become true when their son is stolen away from them by none other than the evil Sorceress herself, Morgana. Definitely AU.
1. Chapter 1

Merlin held his wife's tired body upright, partially dragging her to the grand chair in front of the fireplace. She fell clumsily as he sat her down, but was unfazed. Her eyes were glassy- staring into the roaring flames of the fire.

He worriedly took in her anguished face and brushed away the sad tears that threatened to spill from his eyes as he realized that this happened way to many times to count. He hated seeing her like this and now he had a new worry to add onto his conscious as he looked at his heavily pregnant wife being unresponsive. He knelt down in front of her, cupping her cheeks in his hands, stroking the tear stained skin with his thumbs.

"Elsa," He whispered softly, his eyes glowing gold as he tried to gain her attention, "Elsa, it is alright." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead. His soothing words and slight magic brought the girl back. He watched as her body gave a sudden jolt and her once blank stare turned into one of pure fear. She began crying again, her head frantically surveying her surroundings, her knuckles turning white as she gripped the arm rest.

Merlin shushed her as she bawled, pulling her towards him. Her head fell onto his chest, her thick tears staining his blue shirt. She clung to him as though he was going to just vanish out of thin air.

They spent a few moments in this position, Merlin continuing running his hand through her red hair- pulling out the many pins that still adorned the auburn locks as he did so. When her sobs had quieted down to a whimper, he pulled away slightly so he could look into her face.

"Elsa , darling, why don't you go take a bath. I shall run it for you, alright? Then when I return, we can discuss what happened." His voice was barely above a whisper, and Elsa shivered at the affection in his voice. She could only imagine the sight that he was looking at when he was looking down at her. Her long hair hung in random directions, and she could feel the heavy knot in the back of her head. The long, green dress she wore for her dinner with Merlin, Arthur and Gwen just hours previous, was torn and wrinkled from the way she convulsed and gripped at the clothing as though it were poison. Her face flushed in embarrassment as she looked towards her husband.

"I am sorry." She mouthed and fresh tears poured out of her eyes again, which she tried to wipe away quickly with the back of her hand. Merlin stopped her efforts, taking her hands softly in his and kissed the palms.

"Elsa , you have nothing to be sorry for. Come," he brought them both into a standing position and led her towards the large tub in the other room. With a flick of his hand, warm water appeared in the tub. He gave her a sweet kiss on her cheek before walking towards the door. "I am going to go speak with Arthur. I will be back soon enough." Elsa smiled at him in thanks, but said nothing. This worried the warlock. Elsa had never been one for not saying anything. She always had a sarcastic remark on the tip of her tongue; one that she was never afraid to speak out loud. Whatever she saw, must have frightened her terribly.

Merlin walked towards the King and Queen's chambers, lightly rapping on the door. Arthur opened it immediately, a worried expression on his face. He had been a nervous wreck ever since dinner. One moment Elsa was telling them a hilarious story about Merlin, and the next, she just fell to the ground and started convulsing. Her green eyes were taken over by an unknowable dark force- completely black and lifeless. Her skin became very pale. Gwen shrieked as her best friend fell to the ground, and he jumped from his seat. Merlin was the only one who remained calm- gently picking up his convulsing wife from the ground and bringing them to their chambers. Elsa was like a sister to him. Elsa _was_ his sister.

"How is she?" He asked in a rush. Since she had been a best friend to both he and Merlin for so long, he was used to these moments. But this just seemed… worse. It was never this bad.

"She is fine now. A little shaken up is all." Merlin sighed and entered the room, plopping down on the chair. He covered his face with his hands before thanking Gwen who had poured him a glass of wine.

"I do not know what happened." Merlin said, more to himself than anyone else. Arthur leaned against the wall.

"She has never had anything this bad before." Arthur spoke softly and looked towards his best friend, who had a saddened look in his eye. It was barely a week when his two best friends had gotten married. Now this happened.

"I just hope," Merlin spoke with glistening eyes, "that this does not destroy her. Or hurt the baby."

Gwen stifled a sob as Merlin drank the rest of his goblet's contents in one gulp.

**XxX **

Elsa cleansed her skin of all dirt. The feel of the warm water washing her bare skin made her shiver in delight- almost made her forget what had occurred. She felt more embarrassed than anything else. She had always been younger than everyone else and having to be carried off like a child didn't make things any better. She sighed as she dunked her whole head underwater before rising again and massaging her scalp.

When she had exited her bath and dressed in a soft white nightgown, she was slightly relieved to see that Merlin had not yet returned. She did not want to tell her of the vision she just had. It made her uneasy to realize that she could have a future like that…

_No, Elsa ._ She scolded herself. _Do not think of that now._

Busying herself by running a comb through her thick, red hair she became lost in the rhythm of the brush strokes and hissed as she pulled it through the tangles. She sat at her vanity, and it took her a moment to realize that Merlin was behind her, leaning in the doorway. She smiled as he stared at her through the mirror. Every time he looked at her, her breath hitched in her throat. Instead of his usual attire of blue and red scarves, Arthur had made him wear clothes for someone of more noble status- and they suited him well. A dark midnight blue coat done up to the neck with black pants and brown boots. Everything was clean and freshly pressed and perfect. The only thing that took away from his perfection was the worried look in his eye. She warily took him in as she walked up behind her.

She gave a small, teasing smile. "Damn tangles… maybe I should just cut the whole lot off."

He chuckled and walked over to her and took the brush from her hands, taking over the job himself. He did it slowly and Elsa closed her eyes in content.

The sound of the brush hitting the vanity made her open her eyes. She was about to speak when he knelt down behind her, wrapping his arms around her swollen waist and leaning his chin on her shoulder. Tears fell from his eyes as he watched her carefully. She placed her hands on his own and swallowed thickly. If there was something that she hated most, it was seeing her Merlin- her Emrys- cry.

Merlin seemed to be struggling to swallow back tears as he gently stroked Elsa's stomach.

"The child is fine, Merlin." Elsa sounded bitter, but she really did not mean to. She just hated the fact that she might have endangered her child, and she began to question if she would make a good mother or not. If she could not protect her child in the womb, what hope would it have out in the real world?

"Elsa," his voice let out a slight choke after a moment. "You scared me tonight. I thought I was going to lose you."

"Well, you didn't." Elsa mumbled, trying to joke. She instantly regretted her words as he huffed in frustration and moved towards the changing screen, the rustle of his clothes the only thing heard in the large chambers.

"I have suffered through your quick, witty answers for years. As a friend, I have understood why you have always said them. You have wanted to show your strength to others." He emerged and she stood up slowly, using the vanity to aid herself. She did not interrupt, but could only stare at him as he continued his rant. He had changed into sleep trousers, yet wore only a loose white shirt.

"But, silly me. Here I was thinking that when I fell in love with you and we married, then things would be different. I am your _husband_ now! I do not want you to feel like you have to take on the world yourself." He stood in front of her and sighed, taking her hands in his. "You do not have to be strong for everyone. I am here now. I can be strong for the both of us. For our child."

"I don't want you to be –" Elsa mumbled, yet was cut off as Merlin placed his lips on hers, his hands going to her stomach again. She closed her eyes and felt tears threatening to return. He gasped as he pulled back.

"Elsa , please. You are not alone anymore." He gave a weak chuckle. "You never were."

Elsa looked down and Merlin could tell that she was ready to break once more. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.

"I am sorry, I shouldn't have said such things." He meant to turn away when she held on tighter to his hands.

"No, I am sorry." She stuttered before saying, "It was the vision. Merlin, it was not a good one and I think Arthur is in danger."

Merlin's eyes grew wide as she led him to the bed. He sat on the edge, yet she paced in front of him, unsure of where to start. How do you tell your husband of one week that your future involves murder?

When she had difficulty beginning, Merlin's anxiousness took over.

"What happened?" He questioned quietly as sat dragged the vanity's stool in front of him and began rocking back and forth, covering her face with her hands.

"Elsa ," He began again, more forcefully. He hated rushing her in this state, but he knew that she would forget what she had seen soon, and time was running thin. Especially with this knowledge that Arthur's life may be in danger.

She slowly lowered her hands and started at him with large, tear-filled eyes. He couldn't help but notice how dark her eyes became after her visions.

"I saw who it will be…" She said in a hoarse whisper. "Who it will be to bring about Arthur's bane."

Merlin was stunned, yet slightly anxious. If she saw who it was then perhaps he could defeat them soon…

"It is going to be me." She finally admitted in a small voice before breaking down again once more. "I am to bring Arthur's destruction."

Merlin sat in shock before shushing his wife and leading her to the bed with him. He lay her down and blew out the small candle beside the bed. Covering them both with the large quilt, he laid her head on his chest and just lay there- allowing her to let out her fears. His mind was working too fast. Why would she want to destroy Arthur? But she didn't want to do it, he knew that. Arthur was one of her best friends. And the future could always be changed…

"Please help me." She pleaded. "Help me not to fall into that path!" She wailed, pushing her face into his chest even more.

He pulled her close in a bone-crushing hug and kissed the top of her head, stroking her hair.

"It's not going to happen, Elsa." He said, but the crack in his voice deceived him.

He always had to watch everyone with a close eye. He never thought that the day would come that it was someone so close to him that he would have to watch- especially his wife.

**XxX**

In the middle of the woods, in an undisclosed location, Morgana awakes from her slumber- smiling at the vision of the two lovers. She saw the usually strong Elsa breaking down in Merlin's arms- watching as his face slowly turns into one of suspicion.

She smirked evilly as she realized that her vision was slowly forming.

Soon, the kingdom of Camelot will be broken; in more ways than one.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you so much for all the follows and favorites! It really makes my day! **

**Now, I am totally taking the episodes out of order when I look to the flashbacks, but that just makes it completely AU haha**

**Please read and review! (also if you want one reviewed by me just PM me! I would love to!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own this (unfortunately) but my OC and storyline are my own **

Elsa awoke to fingers tracing over the druid mark on her right shoulder and sighed in contentment, eyes still closed. Merlin gave a small smile and gave a gentle kiss to the mark, curling his arm around her waist, bringing her in closer.

"Elsa, how are you feeling?" Elsa groaned in embarrassment and shoved her face deeper into the pillow. She could not remember what had exactly happened, but the familiar dread that ached through her entire body told her that she had another vision.

"Oh no," she murmured as Merlin gave her small kisses on her cheek.

"Do not worry, darling," he hesitated, "It was nothing bad." In truth, it was very bad. The fact that she admitted that it was her that was to bring Arthur's bane scared him in more ways than any words could express. His wife was to kill his best friend- supposedly.

_No_. Merlin told himself silently. _The future can be changed._

After all, Albion was already uniting… slowly, but surely. At least Arthur had seen sense that magic was indeed good, as long as the user had the right morals (as well, both of his greatest friends both possessed the gift).

But if Elsa could not remember, he figured it best not to delve on the negative.

"When did it happen?" Her voice was muffled in the pillow which made Merlin give a small chuckle.

"It was just in Gwen and Arthur's presence. At dinner." He heard her groan again and lightly tugged on her arm, causing her to lay flat on her back and stare up at him. He hovered over her form and brought a kiss to her neck.

"Elsa, you know that they do not care about that-"

"I know." She cut him off as he began to kiss her again on the neck, "It's just embarrassing. Not being able to remember anything. Who knows what I could have done, what I could have said."

Merlin stopped his feather light kisses and brought his face close to hers. "Please, Elsa, it is just past dawn. Let us not dwell on this." He gave her a kiss on the lips to which she quickly responded to, bringing a hand up to his cheek. A couple of wonderful moments passed in this state before apprehension took control of Elsa and she pulled away, breathless.

"In all seriousness though, nothing bad happened that would cause Arthur to make fun of me or anything?"

Merlin groaned at her interruption and rolled off of her, lying down heavily beside her with his hands folded on his stomach.

"No. _Nothing_." He emphasized the word and sighed, getting up. At this rate, he was never going to go back to sleep… or get the other thing he had in mind.

Elsa rolled her eyes as her husband stood up and stretched, face towards the window. The grey clouds seemed to break in two as a sheet of rain poured down to the earth at a rapid rate.

"Great, now you're mad at me." She muttered, but still loud enough for him to hear.

"I am not mad at you, I just…" Merlin shook his head rapidly trying to get rid of the thoughts in his mind. "Let's think of something else, instead. Like how I am going to be a father."

Elsa chuckled. "Yes, a wonderful father at that!"

"And you shall be a wonderful mother." Merlin said, smiling at his wife adoringly. He could not wait until the day came when he would have his own little family. True, Elsa was all the family he needed, but having a child would just complete him even more.

Elsa responded with a small smile, yet it slowly vanished from her face. Merlin frowned.

"Elsa, what's wrong?"

She sighed. "Merlin, what if I'm not ready to become a mother? What if I am so awful at it, that the child resents me?"

"What?" He honestly looked shocked. He always thought that Elsa would make a great mother, since all of the children in Camelot loved her. He knew that she would be amazing.

"Oh, come on!" Merlin sat down on the bed, bringing his hands on either side of her legs and leaning his forehead on hers. "You will be amazing. Our child will love you. Just as I do."

She blushed at his words and kissed his smiling mouth. "I am just hoping that the child is alright after what happened last night."

Merlin sighed and kissed her cheek before standing, helping her stand also. "Come, let's get dressed. I think it is time for my wife and daughter to get some breakfast."

As he made his way to the dresser pulling out his clothing for the day, Elsa smirked. "Daughter? How do you know it is going to be a girl?"

Merlin raised his hands out beside him with a cheeky smirk. "I am the most powerful warlock, Elsa. I think I would know these things."

Elsa rolled her eyes, going over to the dresser as well and picking out a pale blue dress- one of the few that could actually fit over her growing stomach…

**XxX**

"Arthur, save me from my husband." Elsa remarked as she walked into Arthur's chambers, Merlin just a few steps behind her. Arthur and Gwen were seated, eating breakfast and had invited Merlin and her to join them.

Gwen quickly got out of her seat and walked towards her best friend, gathering her into a hug.

"Oh, Elsa how are you!"

Elsa resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "I am fine, Gwen. Sorry for causing you worry."

"Of course not!" Arthur said getting up and clapping her on the back- knowing full well how she hated a huge deal being made after one of her 'episodes'. Once they were all seated he turned back to her with a smile.

"Now, why should I save you from your husband?"

Elsa groaned as Merlin started to protest. "He is driving me insane. He is certain that the baby will be a girl and won't shut up about it."

Arthur nodded in understanding. "He really does have difficulty with talking too much."

Elsa and Gwen chuckled as Merlin turned towards his wife, after giving Arthur a glare.

"Oh come on, you must have your suspicions too!"

Elsa leaned back in her chair as she buttered her toast. "Well, call it mother's intuition, but I believe it to be a boy."

Arthur snorted in his drink as Gwen's eyes turned dreamy. "You believe it to be a son, Elsa?"

Elsa shrugged as her mouth was full. She really didn't have any suspicions, nor did she care. She just wanted the chance to tell Merlin 'told-you-so' if it were to happen.

"Well, once he comes, I will be sure to train him into the best knight this realm has ever seen." Arthur remarked, bringing his goblet up to his lips.

"Oh no!" Merlin cut in. "My child will not be a brainless, muscle head!" He ducked his head just in time as Arthur's goblet was thrown just an inch past his head. Elsa didn't bother to hide her laugh as she snorted and threw her head back. Unlike Gwen, who hid her chuckle behind her hand.

Merlin mock-scowled at her yet smiled, happy to see the light back in his wife's eyes. He almost forgot about the night before, almost.

The rest of the breakfast was spent with him holding tightly onto her hand throughout the whole meal.

"So," Arthur started as a servant came and began to clear dishes, "Where are you taking little Elsa?" He asked as Merlin finished telling him that he was planning a trip for the afternoon.

"He won't tell me! And don't call me little…" Elsa cut in, but Merlin ignored her.

"It's just for a ride." He smiled at Elsa who narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "And do not worry; we will set up a spell that will alert us of any danger if it were to come."

Arthur scoffed, helping Gwen out of her seat, Merlin following suit. "Merlin, I like to think that I can run this kingdom without your help."

Merlin scoffed. "Yeah, alright then…"

He yelled as Arthur's goblet hit him in the forehead, glaring at his wife for laughing.

**XxX**

"Merlin, come on! We have been riding for hours!" Elsa complained.

Merlin slowed his horse down until he was beside his wife and reached across, grasping her hand.

"Elsa, we are almost there." He said with a smile and laughed as she pouted.

"Oh, look at that!" She suddenly shouted and spurred her horse forwards towards a large willow tree. Merlin chuckled watching her. He still could not believe that this woman was his wife. _His_ wife. He had married his best friend and he woke up with her in his arms every morning. It was something that he had never expected- or even thought of- before. He thought that his destiny would not allow him any sort of companion, yet Elsa had come into his life.

She gracefully reached her arm up as her horse stood underneath the branches, picking a flower from the branch. She and Merlin were donned in their servant's clothing before Arthur had advanced their status. He felt more comfortable in his usual blue shirt, brown jacket and red scarf rather than his noble clothing of dark blue jacket and Druid Crown. Elsa definitely appeared more comfortable as she wore her brown tights with the black boots with one of his white shirts (the only thing other than a dress that would fit over her stomach), a brown belt tied loosely around her waist. He watched as her bright red hair fell loosely down her shoulders, capturing the sunlight in their waves.

It was odd to him to think that when she had come to Camelot with her mother- who unfortunately had gotten sick- just one year after he had, that he would find such a great friend in her. Arthur included. She went everywhere with them, on every journey and quest. She always loved being where the action was. That was probably why he found her so intriguing. She was not like any other woman, in the sense that she did not want to sit around, waiting. She made things happen. When her mother died, she did not cry. She went out and did odd jobs, not begging Arthur for a job. She wanted to do it herself, even for someone who was only seventeen summers.

He didn't remember exactly when things started changing. Perhaps when she had disappeared with Morgana, accompanying her to the Druid camp. He realized just how much he had missed her then. It was like when Arthur was venting to him about how he could never love Gwen- well, not that part, but the fact of how missing her made him insane. This is what he began to feel. When she had returned, she seemed different. For once the camp was raided; she had escaped and travelled to another camp for a while, learning her Seer skills. It was when she returned that made him realize how much he loved her.

Learning her full potential with her magic had matured her. When he had went to her small house to say welcome back he couldn't help himself. He gave her a large kiss. She reacted with a surprise (which he had expected), hell he was surprised too. But eventually she gave in. And things just took off from there. Two years after that realization they were married and of high, noble status in Camelot, magic was slowly brought back, and now she was pregnant with his child. He felt elated. The only thing that could bring him down was knowing that his wife had seen…

"Hello!" The call took him away as he blinked, coming back to reality to stare at his wife who looked at him with an irritated face. "Pregnant woman wants to get off her horse!"

"Not yet!" He called back. "We are almost there!"

Elsa groaned and spurred her horse even further.  
"Careful!" Merlin scolded, but smiled, chasing after her.

After a few moments, Merlin stopped before the destination- looking into the crystal blue waters of the Lake of Avalon.

"I never get tired of this place." Elsa remarked as Merlin got off his horse and helped her down from his.

He nodded. "We have shared some memories here, haven't we."

Elsa said nothing as she slowly lowered herself down to the ground to sit, Merlin sitting beside her. He rested her head on his shoulder as he wrapped an arm around her.

They stayed there in companionable silence, watching as the sun was slowly going down when Elsa looked up at him with a small smile.

"Do you remember when I told you about my magic?"

Merlin nodded. Of course he did! It happened right on this very lake.

_Merlin and Elsa stood on the edge of the lake, watching as Merlin burned the boat that held their friend Freya. Merlin looked somberly at the woman he had grown to love in such a short time when a sob from Elsa stopped him. _

_He looked towards her and could see that she was visibly shaken. He did the only thing that he could think of and wrapped his arms around her in a reassuring hug. He didn't think she would care all too much. Freya and her had gotten along, but were not too close. _

_As Elsa clung to him, she began to lose control, sobbing uncontrollably. She began to struggle for breath as they both fell to their knees. _

"_Elsa, don't worry. She is not cursed anymore." He said, stroking her hair. _

"_I know." She murmured and pulled away, breathing heavily through her sobs. "It's just that I could have prevented it." _

"_No, no," Merlin said, wiping the tears from her eyes. "It was no one's fault." _

"_Merlin!" She snapped, "I saw it!" Her eyes widened as she realized what she had said and she struggled to stand, but was held down by Merlin holding tighter to her arms. _

"_Els, what are you talking about?" He spoke cautiously. _

_Elsa whimpered and hesitated before admitting in a weak voice, "Merlin I have magic. Well, I'm a Seer." _

_When Merlin didn't respond she continued, "Please don't tell Arthur! I can't control it! I just have dreams and they tend to come true…" _

_Merlin hugged her tightly and gave a breathy laugh. "Elsa, I would never betray you!" _

_Elsa shuddered. "Why? You are so loyal to Arthur- even though you wouldn't admit it- and magic is viewed as terrible…" _

"_Elsa, I have magic too!" Merlin interrupted with a large grin… _

"That was one of the happiest days of my life, actually. Finding out that you had magic." Merlin said with a smile, as his wife looked up towards him.

"Was for me too. Having to live with a secret like that on your own shoulders is too much. Being able to talk about it with you was great."

Merlin smiled and captured his wife's mouth in a kiss.

Elsa smiled as she broke the kiss and lay down on her back, Merlin following suit. He weaved his fingers with hers and sighed in contentment as he closed his eyes.

**XxX**

It was not the cool breeze from the lake that woke Merlin up or the rising sun (because it was just the middle of the night). No, it was the sound of Elsa crying out in pain.

He quickly sat up with his wife who was bent over with her eyes closed in pain.

'What's wrong?" He panicked.

"Merlin, my water broke. Something feels wrong."

Merlin didn't even think twice as he used a spell to bring them back to the castle. In a burst of white light they went from being on the lake to their chambers back in Camelot.

"Help!" He screamed, as his wife passed out in his arms- blood seeping from the bottom of her dress.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you so much for all of the follows and favorites and for the review! It makes my day **** As well, I am thinking of changing the name of Elsa. It was just kind of a 'filler' name and I came across a name that I believe suits better… so next update, do not be confused as to why it is about someone entirely different haha **

**Please review!**

Elsa had been waking up constantly throughout the night, passing out at random moments. But whenever she awoke, her world was made of swirling colors and blurry faces that glowed under the warm fire. She could not remember why she was here, in where she assumed were her chambers. And every time she tried to sit up, someone was there to push her back down. A deep ache spread through her whole abdomen and almost every half hour an unbelievable pain made it seem like her whole body was being ripped in half.

She was not awake to see Merlin calling for help, or changing her bloody dress for a white nightgown. She did not see the guards leaving in a rush- one going to the King and Queen's chambers, and one heading out to Gaius and the mid-wife. Merlin laid her on the bed and screamed some more as Elsa began to convulse. Her body shook as her head was thrown back against the headboard.

Merlin could do nothing as he just watched his wife and waited for Gaius to come in. When he did, a mid-wife soon followed behind him.

"Gaius, what is happening?" Merlin wondered as Gaius pushed him gently out of the way. "Gaius!"

The aging physician sighed and turned towards his nephew, placing his hands on his shoulders in an effort to comfort him.

"Merlin, please. Wait outside. Everything is fine, we just need to give her some space." He guided Merlin outside and shut the door behind him, just as Elsa started to convulse again.

As the door closed behind him, Merlin brought his hands up to his hair and tugged, making it stand up at odd angles. Frustrated with everything and his inability to help, he kicked the wall beside the door to his chambers. Arthur and Gwen- still in their night clothes- walked down the hallway towards him.

"Merlin! What happened?" Arthur asked worriedly, taking in his best friend's stressed state.

"I don't know." Merlin replied, starting to pace back and forth. "We were just at the Lake of Avalon and we fell asleep. When I woke up she was in pain. I brought her here and she passed out and starting shaking and… I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE BLOODY HELL IS GOING ON!" He brought a fist to the wall ahead of him and the fire-lit torches all down the hallway lit up to the ceiling. Tears fell from his eyes as he heavily sat down on the ground and hid his face in his hands. His magic flowed angrily all around him, causing the air to be tense.

Gwen wiped tears from her eyes as she put a quick hand on Arthur's shoulder and headed into the chambers. Arthur slid down beside Merlin and wrapped an arm around the sobbing warlock's shoulders.

"Merlin, I know you are scared. But you have to be strong. Elsa needs that right now."

Merlin sniffed. "How can I be strong when my magic does not have any effect on her, and I could lose her in a matter of seconds? As well as the child? Arthur, I… I cannot lose her."

Arthur let Merlin cry for he did not know how to respond. He couldn't lose her either.

"Don't worry, Merlin. We won't lose her." Both men knew it was an empty promise, but it was all they had at the moment.

**XxX**

Elsa's head was spinning. Her body ached everywhere, as if she had been hit to the head with a rock. Things had calmed down- with no more convulsions- yet she was having trouble keeping track of the situation. She vaguely recalled Gwen coming into the room and taking a seat beside the bed, taking her cold hand into hers.

"It is going to be alright, Elsa." The queen consoled, yet even Elsa could hear the fear in her voice.

"Guinevere, Gwen… why is this happening? I have done everything right." The vulnerable, soft tone of the usually stubborn young woman broke Gwen's heart as she stared at her friend's face. Wide, green eyes stared back at her with tears threatening to spill. Her hair was matted roughly on the pillow underneath her head, in a halo of deep red. She was so pale. No longer was her skin tanned from the summer sun, but rather looked close to death itself. Gwen knew firsthand what her friend meant by 'doing everything right', for she was the first one the fiery redhead came to about her troubles on the matter. She was forced to stop using her magic, for fear of the baby being harmed by it. She no longer sparred with the knights, and- what she deemed worst of all- she could not go on the expeditions that Merlin and Arthur went on. Even as a young teenager she would go with them, so it became a habit. Now, she could not do anything of the sort and it was maddening.

But the same question echoed deep within the Queen's own mind: Why was this happening to someone who did everything right?

"Gwen," Gaius stood by the door and beckoned her over. Giving Elsa a quick squeeze on the hand, she made her way over.

"What is it, Gaius?" The old man sighed.

"I am afraid that Lady Elsa is having more difficulties than originally thought. I believe it has something to do with her magic." He sighed, "I don't believe anything bad will happen, but it will just be a more difficult birth."

Gwen nodded, not fully understanding what was happening. "Well, how long?"

The old man sighed again, tired and worried. "Probably a couple of hours. Until then, I fear that she will be in more pain than most. Until then, I think it is best we allow Merlin into the room."

Gwen nodded and opened the door, ushering the two worried males inside.

"What is it?" Merlin asked in a rush.

Gwen echoed everything she was told about the situation in a calm manner as Gaius and the mid wife left the room to get some supplies. Arthur took one look towards Elsa, and seeing that she was safe, went to assist the physician and mid wife.

Once Merlin was told the information, he walked over to his wife and held her hand in his. He rubbed his hand over hers, wanting to warm up her cool skin.

A slight pressure he got in return brought his eyes to her face.

Sleepy, green eyes bore into his own and she softly smiled. "Merlin, you need to calm down. I can feel your magic and it is very annoying."

Merlin rolled his eyes and chuckled before bending down to place a kiss on her forehead. "Even in the most dire situations, you never fail to shock me with your witty remarks."

Elsa smirked and stared at him. He really did look worried. Bringing a hand up to his face, she sighed. He kissed her palm and brought his hand over hers, stroking it.

"How are you feeling?" He asked after a moment, taking a seat in the chair that Gwen had once occupied, still holding her hand and placing it in her lap.

Elsa snorted in response and threw her head back on the pillows. "Like death." She muttered and ignored Merlin's harsh glance at her word choice. With her free hand, she rubbed her swollen stomach, "I just want our little joy to come out."

"Me too." Merlin muttered and Elsa pulled herself up slightly into a seating position and pulled his face to hers, resting their foreheads together.

"Do not worry, Merlin. I know how well you can do that," Merlin rolled his eyes again, "But I will be fine. It may be harder than most births, but I pride myself in knowing that you and I are not exactly the same as others."

Merlin gave a small laugh and leaned back to look at his wife who smiled in triumph at getting her husband to laugh.

"Someone is full of themselves."

Elsa shrugged and brought her hands behind her head. "What can I say? We aren't normal."

Merlin gave her a sweet kiss in response. He brought a hand up to her face and stroked her cheek. He felt her smile in the kiss and knew that she may be scared, but they would get through it. They had too…

"What if I tried to use my magic?" Merlin asked as they broke apart, already knowing the answer.

"No," she said stubbornly, shaking her head. "We have been through this. We will not know the outcome."

"Yes, but if we just try. Maybe I could help with the pain-…"

"Merlin," she cut him off. "There are two things wrong with that. One, we have no idea what magic would do in this situation. Clearly the child is going to be magic and second," she paused and looked at him with large eyes, "I may be a sorceress but I am still a woman. If other women can do this, then why can't I?"

"But you just said we weren't like others…" Merlin started but stopped after Elsa sent him a glare. From both her expression and sudden magic creating the room to seem tense, he realized not to question her any further.

"Well, there is no point in discussing this," Merlin sighed and took hold of her hand again, and added in a mutter, "because we all know that I am going to lose."

"What was that?" Elsa asked with an amused expression and chuckled as her husband blushed and stammered over a response.

"Well, either way, we are going to become parents very soon." Merlin's face lit up with that fact and the couple fell into silence as everyone returned.

Throughout the next hour, Gaius and the mid-wife checked Elsa every moment, and with great effort, got Merlin to sit in the chairs by the fire with the King and Queen. They said nothing as he plopped himself down tiredly and stared at the flames.

Elsa had only two other convulsions during the next hour after that and during those times Merlin was by her side, stroking her hair. When she would 'awake' again, she would cry and wish some more for the child to leave her. It seemed that with every hour that went by, the more delusional she would get, and the more anxious.

Just a few hours past midnight, Elsa awoke and took in her surroundings- which scared her because she could only make out blurry colors and shapes. And the _heat_. The heat was excruciating and she felt trapped. Not to mention that she had a terrible pain in her stomach that made her whole body just want to break in two.

"It's too hot." She sleepily murmured. Her words were rolling off of her tongue and did not sound right, even to her own ears. The tone was tired and pained. Something beside her stilled and took her hand in theirs.

"What is wrong, Elsa?" The voice said in a rush. Merlin. That was Merlin's voice…

"Please," She begged as sweat began to trickle down from her head, "It is too hot!"

She began to feel closed in, like she couldn't escape. She made to get up when the hands- whom she was sure was Merlin- held her shoulders down forcefully.

She fought against him… fought against the added pressure. Kicking and thrashing around, she wanted to get out of bed. Why couldn't she get out of bed?

"Please, Merlin. I j-just n-n-need some a-air." That's when the pain became too much. As another contraction rocked her body- one after the other- Gaius and the mid wife sprang into action.

"It is time." The mid wife- Glenda- announced as she brought out a cloth and stood by the end of the bed. Merlin's heart began to beat out of his chest as the news finally made its way through his skull. It was time. In just a few moments, he was to be a father. Elsa's hands grabbing tightly onto his jacket brought him back to reality as he took in her dazed, scared eyes.

"Elsa, darling, please. The baby is on their way. You need to stay calm."

Her breathing came in shortened gasps. The roaring fire made it even more difficult to breathe as she began to hyperventilate.

"Put out the fire!" She exploded, banging her head against Merlin's shoulder over and over again. "Put out the fire!"

Her shrill voice brought the attention of the two royals who stood quickly from their seats by the fire. At Elsa's command, Arthur quickly put out the fireplace. Gwen rushed over to Merlin's side. He was shocked. He felt so helpless. This pregnancy was making his wife act delusional and it scared him, for he felt helpless.

"Ahh!" Elsa's sudden scream of pain, along with the mid-wife's declaration of "the baby is coming" made everyone act quickly.

Arthur comforted Merlin as he coaxed him to wait outside with him, while Gwen sat where he was and held Elsa's hand.

Elsa felt a new presence in the room as a deep tear could be felt- and heard- in her stomach. The pain that shot through her body was quickly ignored as she felt a life-force being taken away.

"Get him out! Please!" Her body fell back on the pillow, her back arching up as another pain shot through her entire body.

"Just push, milady." The aging mid-wife ordered, taking her place at the end of the bed.

Elsa's face scrunched up as she pushed as hard as she could, letting out a scream every time. It seemed to last for ages and she felt exhausted.

Finally, a baby's cry could be heard. Merlin burst through the doors with Arthur as Elsa began to lose consciousness once again, the view of Merlin crying over her newborn child the last thing she saw.


	4. Chapter 4

"It's a girl," Merlin sobbed with a smile, watching as the mid wife cleansed the crying- which was the best sound in the world, for Merlin, for it meant that she was healthy- baby girl. At this stage, it was hard to tell what the child's unique traits were, but it was clear that she had inherited his signature raven hair. Gwen hugged her husband's side and cried happily at the tender moment. Arthur clapped Merlin on the back and offered his congratulations. Merlin looked elated- a bright smile etched onto his face, pride oozing from his expression. Although, just as quick as it had appeared, it vanished. His gaze drifted towards his wife, unconscious on the bed, looking deathly pale.

Fresh tears fell down his face as he looked towards Gaius, standing oddly in the corner of the room. "Gaius, what is wrong with her?"

The old physician sighed, his body weary from all the troubles of the night. He looked towards the three nobles, trying to find the best way to tell them. "There has been a mass amount of internal bleeding. What was safe enough for the baby to have a successful birth, was not good on Elsa's body. Especially since she is such a small person to begin with," Merlin's eyes grew wide and Gaius quickly tried to recover the situation and grabbed his nephew by the shoulders, "although, I have great faith that she will recover. In time. It may take some time for her to awake, but that is the price to pay for such things." He brought Merlin into a hug. "Until then, get to know your daughter. I am so proud of you, Merlin."

Merlin sighed and squeezed him tightly before going over to his wife. Looking down at her face- the pale skin, purple lips- it seemed as though she were dead. The slow rise of her chest was the only indication that there was still life in her veins. He sighed and bent to kiss her forehead, stroking away the sweaty red strands of hair.

"Merlin?" He turned towards Gwen's small voice and saw her holding the small bundle of cloth in her arms, Arthur giving him a smile as if in encouragement, "Would you like to hold your daughter?"

Merlin gave a choked chuckle before eagerly agreeing with a nod of his head. Taking the child into his own arms for the first time was a moment that Merlin was sure going to be in his mind forever. She looked up towards him with a curious look and kicked her legs slightly. He gave a watery laugh and gently took hold of the small foot and his eyes grew wide as he realized just how small this child- his child- was. She was nothing short of precious, and she was his. In a few years she would be able to speak and walk, most likely be able to do magic…

"What are you going to name her?" Arthur asked in a voice close to a whisper. As if the moment should not have any loud interruptions or declarations to take away from its beauty.

Merlin was taken aback, "I forgot she needed a name." he muttered lowly, earning a chuckle from everyone in the room. If the mother of the child was not unconscious, then things would have been much more joyous. He contemplated waiting until she awoke to give her a name, but he didn't want his daughter to be nameless. He wanted her to be his and Elsa's right that moment, and giving a name to her would signify their connection.

He looked towards Elsa and smiled when the perfect name entered into his mind…

_It was exactly three weeks into their marriage. Elsa's body was itching to have a child for quite some time, and Merlin was more than happy to oblige with her request. It was during one night, when both were laying in their bed, that Merlin wanted to delve into the subject deeper. _

"_Why do you want a child now, Els?" Her hand, which had been rubbing soothing circles onto his chest, stilled. "You never showed any interest in it before." _

_She chuckled slightly before bringing her head up to look at him. "You mean when I was following you and Arthur on your 'adventures'? Hardly a subject one tells at the time. Especially a young girl to her two male friends." _

_She brought his mouth into a kiss and chuckled as she pulled away. "Our new status as husband and wife is a much more proper place to have a discussion about that sort of thing, rather than being just friends. Besides, we are older. Maybe not so mature still, but nonetheless." She chuckled at her own small joke and resumed to placing her head on his chest. _

_Merlin hummed in agreement, and gave a half smile. Bringing his hand to stroke through her hair, he could not help but wonder if this was the right thing to be doing. No… if he brought that up, than Elsa would be upset. Not wanting to be inside his head for very much longer, his hand stilled and his body grew tense. _

_Elsa sensed this and immediately got up from her position to stare at his face. He looked down, a thoughtful frown on his face. This worried her. She grabbed the sides of his face and brought their foreheads together. _

"_Merlin, what's wrong?" He sighed heavily and shook his head from side to side frantically. _

"_Nothing." He gave an exasperated sigh and threw his hands up on either side of him before wrapping them around her waist. "Nothing, at all. And that is the issue." _

_He threw the covers away from his body and brought his legs to the side of the bed, sitting with his head in his hands. Elsa just sat behind him hesitantly bringing a hand to his shoulder. _

"_Okay, Merlin, I'm not going to lie. I am utterly confused." _

"_Me too." He mumbled into his hands. "It's just… it's just that things are moving so fast." He whipped his head around just in time to see her face break out into hurt._

"_No, no…" He cursed himself and grabbed her hands, trying to reconcile his words through touch. No surprise, she flinched, yet didn't pull away. "I just mean that I did not imagine this to happen. Marrying you, thinking about having a baby…" _

"_You didn't have to marry me, you know. I didn't force you to take the vows." She murmured, almost childishly. _

_Merlin sighed and brought a hand to run tiredly over his face. How was he going to get out of this one? _

"_That's not what I meant…" _

_She snapped her head towards him. "Then what did you mean?" _

_He swallowed thickly trying to get the words straight in his head before opening his mouth and potentially making the situation even worse. _

"_I… Elsa, I just mean that meeting you- although amazing and wonderful," he quickly said at her pointed look, "was something that I never thought would happen. With my destiny, I thought that having someone to love me the way you do would not be possible. And having a baby is definitely something that I never thought I would have. You- and possibly a child- will be the most important thing in my life. I don't want enemies to take advantage of that." He kept his eyes lowered and with the lack of response, he resumed his previous position and sat on the edge of the bed. _

_Elsa stared at his back, taking in the different scars that he had acquired over the years. So many scars. So many stories. Every single one of those scars almost took the life of the man she loved. This was destiny. This was destiny's fault. His destiny was one-if not- the greatest of them all and he suffered greatly for it. A pang of guilt shook her stomach as she realized her misunderstanding. She didn't know that he was harboring this worry. _

_Elsa gave a small sigh and wrapped her arms around his waist, resting her chin on his shoulder. He immediately responded and leaned back into her, closing his eyes. It felt like a relief to at least say what was on his mind. He was terrified. For so long he had been following the path set out for him, and now he was willing to let someone else in. _

"_I'm sorry." Elsa murmured, nuzzling his neck and kissing his cheek. "It was not my place. I understand." _

_Merlin nodded, thankful. "Me too. I apologize for misleading you." _

_Elsa chuckled, the sound vibrating in Merlin's ears. "Look at us. Fighting like an old married couple." _

_Merlin laughed with her and turned his head, kissing her sweetly. He moved over her to the point where he was lying on top of her. He broke the kiss and laid his head on her chest, wrapping his arms around her tightly. The brief fight quickly forgotten, they stayed as they were, Elsa running her hands through his hair, staring at the ceiling in thought. _

"_What would you name your child?" Elsa asked suddenly, eyes kept on the roof. Merlin looked at her questioningly, but she did not meet his eyes. _

_He put his head back down and shrugged. "I don't know," he breathed, "Never really thought about it. You?" _

_Elsa gave a small smile. "For a boy… William." Merlin tightened his hold on her, a smile on his face as well. Will had been a great friend to them both. "I remember meeting him and thinking just how much he reminded me of you. Not his character, but the connection you both had with each other. You were great friends," Merlin lifted his face towards her and connected their foreheads. "If I could have a son that is anything like you then I would be the happiest mother." She added as an afterthought and Merlin cupped her face in his hands, kissing her forehead. _

"_Thank you." _

_She nodded and pushed him back to his position on her chest. She enjoyed running her fingers through his hair. _

"_And what about a girl?" Merlin asked, suddenly becoming very tired. _

_It took a few moments before Elsa spoke. "Helena."_

_Merlin chuckled as he recalled the little blonde girl- about four summers- that they had found on one of their voyages, Elsa becoming instantly attached to the girl. She was like her sister for a couple of months-even lived with her- before she grew ill. The same illness that had taken a hold of Elsa's mother years prior. It was deadly and proved to have no mercy. _

_A sad sigh from Elsa made it clear that Elsa was remembering the young girl who was like a sister (or even daughter) to her._

"_If that's alright," she muttered, asking his opinion. _

_He took her hand in his and interlocked their fingers before placing a kiss onto her palm. _

"_Helena, it is." _

The smile stayed in place as he looked towards everyone in the room. "Helena." He announced. The room smiled in response.

Helena babbled, and he looked down to her, taking her small hand and bringing it to his lips.

"Our Helena." He murmured and went to sit in the seat by his wife's bed.


	5. Chapter 5

**Thanks everyone for the overwhelming support! It is very much appreciated **

**So now that school is finally finished, I will be dedicating more time to my writing! This is a very short chapter, but it is just to introduce everyone to my two new OC characters that become central in my fanfiction… **

**I am almost done with the outline and I am fairly certain that an update should be expected every Monday! Cheers **

**Aislinn101 **

**XxX**

The candle that was placed on the window sill of the Court Sorcerer and his wife's room was still lit brightly. Hope filled the people of Camelot, for they were relieved that their beloved Elsa was still alive. It had been two days, and the King had informed every one of the arrival of little Helena.

It was bittersweet news, though.

One on hand, a new child had been brought into the world. But on the other, the mother- Elsa- was fighting for her life.

Among the crowd, among their hopeful faces, was a hooded figure- her face the only one seen as it fell into a deep frown. The lit candle was not a good sign. It had meant that Elsa was alive, and that was not part of the plan.

"Meara," A voice hissed from beside her, gripping her arm. She jumped, but did not pull away as the arm began to drag her from the spot in the middle of the crowd. Once they were past Camelot's gates, the figure tore off the girl's hood roughly and glared at her.

"What happened?" Her brother, Henry, asked in a rough voice. He crossed his arms, only exposing the heavy muscles even more. It made Meara flinch slightly at seeing her brother's body so tense- meaning that he was extremely angry.

"I don't know." She murmured and ran a hand through her light blond curls. "I did the incantation the correct amount of times, but something must have gone wrong…"

"Clearly." Her brother spat and placed a tired hand over his face. "Well, you shall be the one to tell Her Lady that the little witch is still alive."

Meara swallowed, soon forgetting the threat of her strong, frightening brother, and replaced her fears with that of the High Priestess herself… Morgana Pendragon.

**XxX**


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